Smells Like Rain
by Son Christine
Summary: Kenshin hadn't realized what he had until she was taken from him.


* * *

**Smells Like Rain**

* * *

It was a very fine autumn day. Noontime had just barely approached the doujo and each resident of the Kamiya doujo lapsed back into their normal routines as if it were on cue. For a day in October, the sun beat down unbearably on Tokyo. Of course for most city-dwellers, said heat posed a problem for walking leisurely in the marketplace. But for Kenshin and Kaoru, swordsmanship had been their main priority. And surely heat hadn't posed any sort of problem. 

"One…Two…Three!" came the resounding cry of the kenjutsu instructor, calloused fingers snaking around her shinai as her arms guided her weapon downward. Kenshin scrutinized her form for a moment, as he'd promised earlier that he would coach her swing that day. Secretly he had been worried about her. As the unintentional worrywart he happened to be, it would pain him greatly to see if she had gotten injured in any way merely because her techniques were not as strong as she'd hoped. Though he himself couldn't deny that her presence alone was comforting and alluring enough to compel him to help her.

"ONE…TWO…THREE!" Kaoru dropped her shinai and let out a disgruntled cry that dared to sound relatively animalistic. Kenshin winced ever so slightly. "Jeez, Kenshin, you must think that I'm pathetic. I can't even follow up with a good defense…"

"Not at all Kaoru-dono, now try it again," he said cautiously and gently, aware of the fact that Kaoru was slightly frazzled. His eyes rolled over the scene of Kaoru's small hands shaking as she held the hilt of her shinai forcefully. Such willpower left Kenshin with the feeling of his lips curling upward. She certainly wasn't the picture of a helpless woman or damsel in distress. Quite frankly, Kenshin was thankful for that.

Kaoru was more than aware that the swordsman had been studying her for several minutes, yet she hadn't even done anything. Such examination left her with an uneasy feeling that slowly led to physical proof, as her cheeks then contained hints of rouge. She felt as though moving around would break the stagnant air and so she lifted her weapon over her head. Her arms froze. Before she physically knew what she had been doing, Kaoru's eyes locked with the redhead's. It was comforting yet at the same time, she knew it to be strange, seeing how she hadn't really stared at him for so long.

The shift in Kaoru's eyes from her shinai to Kenshin made the swordsman believe something to be wrong. Instinctively he loosened his grip on her hands, Kaoru's muscles relaxing as he did so. Her skin was pallid and her lips parted to some extent, creating a rift in between said lips. Worry-filled eyes met cloudy ones and Kenshin held her hands again in hopes that she would regain color in her cheeks.

"Kaoru-dono…you're faint from the heat aren't you? Please, please relax," he chided lightly. Upon taking her hands in his, he proceeded to unsheathe his Sakabatou. Its hilt had been dampened with moisture from the continuous exposure to the sun, yet Kenshin guided Kaoru to clutch the sword. Slowly, his fingertips grazed along her own, beginning to lead her swing. It had been gradual and yet as they gained momentum, Kaoru's form appeared to look much better.

The close proximity between the two left Kaoru dazed. Not only had the heat affected her already frazzled state, but also Kenshin's body heat had been added to the equation. It was merely his body alone that startled Kaoru. The polite and dutiful man had never been so close to anyone from what Kaoru had observed from the time he'd been living with her.

Before Kaoru realized the sudden surge of heat that crept to her cheeks, Kenshin noted it for her. "Kaoru-dono, did I do something wrong? You're blushing."

Once she'd become aware of her blatant discomfort, she tried to allow her shoulders to fall as he continued to guide her hands. The blade soared effortlessly through the air once more, Kenshin letting up slowly on her hands. It appeared she was becoming a bit more at ease. "Good, Kaoru-dono. See? I could tell already that you're improving greatly," he said calmly, flashing a warm smile in Kaoru's direction.

Kaoru smiled sheepishly, as she knew she would never become accustomed to receiving praise from him. Rather than thank him verbally, she smiled quietly, eyes shining to a certain extent in which Kenshin hadn't seen often enough. He wasn't sure why her smile had affected him up to the point where coherent thoughts were no longer able to formulate in his mind. Make no mistake, he had quite the penchant for watching her lips curl upward.

Even the slightest twitch of her lips piqued his interest.

And there had been a side of him who'd been glad to know that she smiled for him.

Perhaps he had been selfish admitting that. But he knew that during every battle he endured, her smile had become his comfort during the aftermath. If he was lucky, he received a strong embrace fueled only by her incessant worry. Surprisingly it took very little for her to willingly throw herself at him. Perhaps it was her aforementioned worrying that made Kenshin care so deeply for her.

He greatly appreciated her sincere concern. Over time, he'd come to greet it, aware of the fact that each and every smile, every lilting word, and every jolting touch only increased in his infatuation for her.

He returned such affectionate gestures with a soft smile of his own. And for Kaoru, that was always more than enough.

The rouge on her cheeks ceased to vanish. For a fleeting moment she hesitated whether or not she should turn from his gaze. Yet she enjoyed the unfamiliarity of studying his gentle facial features. Usually things of the unknown left her feeling relatively uneasy. However Kaoru was willing to put in extra tolerance this time. His amethyst orbs sent light shivering sensations that resulted in having hairs stand on end. Had she known Kenshin's bright eyes would have such an effect, she would love to have stared at him more often.

Much to her chagrin, being enveloped in such a sweet and sultry stare left Kaoru unaware of a much bleaker reality.

"Kaoru!" screamed the interruption in a grating voice that she knew all too well.

Yahiko hollered from across the dojo, waving his hands theatrically. Bobbing up and down with a bokken in hand, he screeched to a halt. The inquisitive youth peered at the couple, wondering why the two looked rather… lovesick. Nonetheless he dismissed the fact that Kenshin looked much more sincere at the time and turned to Kaoru.

In the most discordant voice the smug apprentice could muster, he cried out, "What are you doing flirting with Kenshin? You're supposed to be making dinner!"

Kaoru's heart stopped for a second. Was that was it was? Had she been flirting with him? Certainly she couldn't help it. And Yahiko was apparently aware of this fact as well, despite the fact that Kaoru was now trying to save face and dissipate the blush on her cheeks. "Seems to me like you'd better get at it, even though your cooking totally sucks."

"Why you!" Kaoru cried. If anything, Yahiko's snide comments surely caused Kaoru's once lingering blush to subside. "You're an ungrateful brat, you know that? You'd starve if it weren't for me!"

"Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'd rather die than eat something from an ugly pig like you!"

"Ugly?" Kaoru was on the verge of losing it… (Though one might speculate if she even HAD it to begin with). "At least my cooking's the thing that's bad and not my swordsmanship!"

"Shut up!" Yahiko then dared to shake his butt in her general direction, taunting childishly all the while, "Nyah! Catch me if you're still in shape you old hag!"

"I'll show YOU who's in shape!" The lively kenjutsu instructor had seemed to lose all bouts of sanity, this being blatantly apparent in the way she began to chase fiendishly after her apprentice.

A bemused Kenshin watched on as Kaoru effortlessly pinned down the smaller boy. It hadn't been minutes before where she'd been acting delicate and refined in front of him. Now this. "They argue as though they're brother and sister, that they do," he smirked.

From behind the bushes, came the sound of rustling and the appearance of Sanosuke in tow. No doubt he'd returned from yet another gambling session, with table scrap in his hands more or less. Kenshin raised a thin eyebrow, curious as to how the ex-gangster stumbled onto the scene conveniently enough. "Naw, Kenshin you've got it all wrong," he stated matter-of-factly. "Look at those two go at it will ya? Obviously the kid's got a major crush on Jou-chan. Why else would he tease her like that?"

The rurouni couldn't help but stifle a chuckle or two. "Whatever you say Sano," he stated in disbelief and allowed his hand to find a comfortable spot that rested on his crown. A small smile followed in tow. And he found it strange as to how it took surprisingly little to make him feel warm and comforted, as though the Kamiya doujo were his home all along.

"_But I am a wanderer and someday I will have to pack my bags and leave, that I will_," he thought within the confines of his mind, just barely fingering the strings on his sheath.

The unremitting yowls of the assistant master and her apprentice disrupted Kenshin's musings, a certain redhead now sighing a bit. "Kaoru-dono! Yahiko! Please calm down! I'll be more than happy to prepare tonight's dinner if that means that you two will stop arguing!"

Yahiko perked up once he heard Kenshin's proposal. "Really, Kenshin? Finally! A meal I can actually look forward to!"

"You jerk!" Kaoru cried, conjuring up a vase haphazardly and tossing it at the smaller boy where it proceeded to slam into his face. "At least…at least Kenshin appreciates my cooking! Not like you!"

"Wake up ugly! Kenshin's only saying that because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings! We all hate it!"

"Actually, Yahiko," Kenshin interjected calmly, "I really do enjoy Kaoru-dono's cooking. I find it hard to not like," said Kenshin as he put a hand on Kaoru's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. The youth couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter. "What's so funny Yahiko? Could it be you're laughing because you find my words are true ones and yet you don't want to admit it?"

"No way Kenshin! Her food is awful and that's that," the adolescent crossed his arms, seemingly apparent that nothing would change his mind regarding Kaoru's culinary expertise.

"Shut up, kid," Sanosuke said, effortlessly lifting Yahiko by the back of his shirt. "Even though Jou-chan's cooking is too awful for words, you're getting really annoying."

"Excuse me, so are you!" Kaoru yelled. Both boys (un)fortunately awakened the sleeping dragon inside the aforementioned kenjutsu instructor, which lead to excruciating pain courtesy of her right fist. "Come on, Kenshin, let's go inside and leave these _animals_ outside where they obviously belong." Kenshin faithfully followed Kaoru inside, exchanging rueful glances with the boys in question before Kaoru harshly slammed the door closed.

Kenshin didn't have the heart to leave them outside, and so he eventually unlocked the doors and quietly suggested to behave in case they hadn't wanted to experience a bout of déjà vu.

* * *

Kenshin hid his hands within his sleeves, walking casually along the perimeter of the doujo. Sanosuke followed behind him, acknowledging the fact that a brisk walk would help with digestion of the food they consumed not long ago. "Hey Kenshin, thanks for helping me and the kid back there. If you didn't unlock the door, we could've starved!" the ex-gangster cried out dramatically, Kenshin laughing and nodding. 

What he'd said broke the silence temporarily. No words had been exchanged between the two, Kenshin's eyes transfixed upon the bright blue sky that lay out before him. He personally welcomed the comforting silence, as he found peace in taking in his surroundings.

Sanosuke on the other hand, being a bit livelier than the swordsman, cleared his throat resoundingly, "The kid and Jou-chan are out training right now in case you wanted to know. It'd be a miracle if they were as quiet as we were," he laughed again and continued to stare at the seemingly endless envelope of blue that stretched brilliantly across the sky.

Kenshin took great comfort in staring at something so vast. While it made him seem like an insignificant speck in the grand scheme of things, he enjoyed the way clouds blended themselves together so gently as to appear to take on such a nice texture. And he could smile as deeply as he wanted to. His mind roamed freely.

Yet suddenly, a curtain of darkness hailed over the northern portion of the sky, gradually spreading about until the sky was no longer as brilliant as Kenshin had hoped. His smile faded.

"That seemed to happen too fast for my liking… What's going on Sano?" Kenshin had become anxious regarding the omnipotent aura that suddenly befell the pair. With a clench of his fist, he thought, "_I have to get Kaoru-dono inside… and Yahiko. Something is coming_." Instinctively biting his lip as he thought about the safety of the others, he was unaware that he broke the delicate skin on his bottom lip. Blood trickled down the groove of his chin yet the samurai dismissed it as nothing. "Sano, I need you to do me a favor. Please bring Kaoru-dono and Yahiko to this spot. It might be better if we all stayed together."

Sanosuke was hesitant to move, yet he felt that something had been steadily approaching the two. Kenshin spoke once more, "Sano, please bring Kaoru-dono to me." Sanosuke, realizing that the situation was starting to pose a problem, bolted in the direction that Kaoru sauntered off in not long ago.

With the samurai's astute sense of vision, he quickly noted that shadowy remnants slowly made their way toward the doujo. A firm grip on the hilt of his Sakabatou, he took several reluctant steps forward. "Excuse me, but what business might you have at Kaoru-dono's doujo?"

He hadn't expected to hear much of a verbose response, much less any response at all. Yet the thick, reverberating tone racked Kenshin's eardrums unexpectedly, causing him to jump slightly. "We are looking for no such person, rest assured. However we've come here bearing a different objective. To be brief, we've recently discovered the whereabouts of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai."

Kenshin winced.

"It's been said that he's resided here for quite some time. I'm surprised he's managed to slip under the radar, unnoticed for so long." The one man who had been speaking stepped forward as though it were scripted, revealing a withered old form, displaying eyes that looked as though they could tell many a tale. "I'm afraid that if you do not share whatever knowledge you have about this matter, we will have no choice but to… take matters into our own hands, possibly destroying this doujo and that woman, Kaoru, in the process."

"I cannot allow that then," Kenshin's voice remained unwavering whilst the grip on his hilt strengthened. The old man noted the blazing white hue of Kenshin's knuckles and smiled deeply.

"Forgive me for not noticing it before, but now I assume she is your woman, correct?"

Kenshin almost dared to lose composure, cheeks burning with a certain unfamiliarity. He knew now wasn't the time to stutter and babble like an idiot, so he choked on his discomfort and grit his teeth, "Irrelevant if she is or if she is not. I cannot let you do this by force and idly stand by, sir."

Pleased, the old man smiled cynically, "By all means, call me Onji. A friendly basis is always best, wouldn't you agree?" Just before Onji was able to continue elaborating, a man amidst his small group tapped him on the shoulder, promptly whispering something of relative importance in the elder man's ear. "I see…" said Onji, smiling.

He turned to Kenshin and placed a hand on what resembled a wakizashi.

"Battousai… So it was you all along. Clever of you to hide your identity from me, especially since we were speaking directly not two seconds ago." Kenshin's eyes leered at the contorted old hand of his opponent and drew a deep breath. It seemed as though Onji possessed a great deal of experience with the sword. "However, I don't think I can be as passive with you as I was before. Now that I know the whereabouts of the legendary Hitokiri, I'm afraid you must meet your end."

With a sinuous wave of his withered hand, the companions he'd been traveling with drew their swords, obviously demanding some sort of duel. Kenshin hadn't wanted to resort to fighting, though it seemed that he had been too late. Four blades had been brandished.

Four blades had come toward him at a relatively fast pace.

Instinctively, Kenshin had been forced to draw his sword, skillfully fending off the oncoming assailants. As the swordsman parried each attack effortlessly, Onji couldn't help but allow his plastered grin to widen somewhat. The sword style and display of the former Hitokiri Battousai had been living up to each and every one of his expectations.

Sanosuke stumbled back onto the scene, Kaoru jogging behind him as she glanced around at the oncoming, unexpected visitors. "Stay here, Jou-chan," the ex-gangster mumbled, standing in front of her so that he might be able to shield her from a possible oncoming attack.

Kaoru scrutinized the four-on-one duel between Kenshin and the other men. She'd quickly noted the intensity and sharpness rendered in his eyes. "_He almost seems like a different person on the battlefield. Not just a moment ago he was so…gentle._" True, Kenshin had been as merciless as possible during the battle, believing it would be best to end things quickly. Though he unconsciously toned down his attacks in fear of heavily damaging them, as he knew it wasn't really necessary to do so.

He wasn't certain when it'd happened, but a misstep on Kenshin's part caused him to be off guard. One man struck hastily, lunging at Kenshin's chest cavity.

The sudden clang of metal grinding with metal rang through Kaoru's ears. She took an instinctive step forward, screaming his name, wondering if he was all right.

"_I suppose now would be my chance to strike_," thought Onji, as he realized that Sanosuke had dropped his guard, whereas Kenshin had been trying to defend himself all the while. He glared at the girl for a few moments, she'd also been unsuspecting of what he had been planning to do. Her expression resembled that of a fretful lover, eyes burning with both a relenting passion and incessant worry. Her love for him was blatantly apparent. He was important to her, and he, in turn, treasured her.

"Perfect," the old swordsman muttered. He appeared to travel with such a speed that matched the gods as he abruptly appeared before Sanosuke, drawing his sword and delivering a blow that knocked him backward. Ignoring the recoil he'd been hit with soon after, he immediately reached for Kaoru, arm snaking around her waist as he began to flee from the scene.

The four men Kenshin had been dueling retreated in tow soon after. The redhead looked back and studied their retreating forms. He wasn't sure as to what had occurred during those last few seconds, but something was wrong. Kaoru had been amongst the receding group of men.

It hadn't registered until he heard her discordant screams amplify in volume.

His face paled and his eyes widened in shock. The sound of his sword that fell to the floor echoed within the confines of his mind.

"Kaoru, no!" he cried out. But she was not there. The gap between the two continued to broaden, his cry for absolute naught. "No! No, you won't get away with this!" His body shook violently, thoughts consisting of what they might do with her. As he envisioned a series of worst-case-scenarios, he shook no longer with fear, but with rage. He wanted more than anything to chase them. He wanted to free Kaoru in hopes of keeping her safe and out of harms way. In his arms, he knew for certain there would be nothing to fear.

It'd become a desire of his to make Kaoru happy.

And so he instinctively began to make his way toward the direction of where the men fled. Each step of his gradually began to resemble greater and greater strides. Yet before Kenshin was able to pick up the proper momentum in order to break out into a sprint, he felt something pulling him back. His heart told him to rescue her with everything that he was. So why was something preventing him from moving forward? Sharp, worrisome eyes turned around to see what had been preventing him from following her.

"Sanosuke…"

"Wait, Kenshin…" the taller man placed a comforting hand on the samurai's shoulder, "I know you really care about Jou-chan. And I kn--"

"More than anything," he replied sincerely.

"Yeah I kinda figured… but even so, dontcha think you should think this all through before you just rush in there? I mean, you don't know how many people that Onji guy's got lined up for you. And rescuing Jou-chan is one thing…but there won't be any point to it if you get hurt pretty badly in the process and never get to her."

"Sano, I can't explain how I feel right now and I don't even want to try. But I know one thing for certain. I have to get to Kaoru-dono as quickly as I possibly can. There's no telling what they'll do to her now that they have her."

"Yeah I know but--"

"And the sickening part of it all is that she has nothing to do with it. They were after me. And now they're using her as bait in order for me to come for her."

Sanosuke was well aware that Kenshin was adamant in his decision. It was blatantly apparent that the worry plastered on Kenshin's facial expression was fueled only by his love for her and Sanosuke knew it. There was nothing Kenshin wouldn't do to make sure she was safe and sound. And so the ex-gangster nodded reluctantly, "Then at least let me go with you."

"No. This is my fight and mine alone…" Kenshin muttered, bending down to pick up his sullied sword that he'd dropped in shock not long ago. "However, I have a favor to ask. Please protect everyone here while I'm gone. I'm asking you, Sano…as a friend, and because I know you wouldn't let me down." Kenshin flashed a slight smile in his direction, fully aware that Sanosuke would not object.

"I gotcha…" he waved the redhead off and with a stern nod, Kenshin sped off into the distance in hopes of tracking Onji and his followers down. It was all for Kaoru, he kept telling himself. So long as he saw her face again, he would be content. It was her face that kept coming to mind that allowed him to run faster. Her vast blue eyes and her soft smile had not left the thoughts he treasured so dearly. He promised himself that he would give anything to see such serenity again.

Kenshin suddenly felt the swordsman's spirit of Kaoru's captor and grit his teeth fiercely. He knew they were not far and so he traveled onward, one hand on the hilt of his sword and his legs carrying him swiftly all the while. He found himself traveling in a scarcely populated area until there'd been no one roaming the streets. He was alone, desperate, and clinging to wistful images of Kaoru in hopes of finding her once again.

A small, desolate village greeted him, the swordsman unaware of where he should look first. Yet he dashed to a small house, covered with cobwebs and chipped shards of wood. "_This must be where he's hiding her_," he thought in disgust. Heightening his sense of awareness, he cautiously crept forward and waited for a few moments. He could hear not a sound and was reluctant to believe that his love had been behind that very door.

Rationally believing that it was now or never, he kicked the door and it toppled to the ground with an unceremonious thud. Kenshin suddenly found a shuriken rush out where it narrowly missed his arm. Sidestepping out of the way, he took note of the fact that there was someone there. Eyes squinted and hand ready to draw his blade at any given moment, the open door that allowed light to flood inward revealed a very familiar form, kneeling in the middle of the room.

His eyes widened. Kaoru's hands were bound, mouth gagged with a rope which had been tied around her head. Instinctively, he studied her. Her kimono appeared to be ripped and battered, almost as if she had been abused somewhat. Kenshin's eyes narrowed. The very thought made his blood boil. He opened his mouth to speak, but he could not formulate coherent words. The mere shock was enough to freeze him in place.

"Yes, it's a rather sad sight, isn't it," came a second figure, unexpectedly emerging from the shadows.

"Onji! What have you done?" Kenshin cried.

The old man smiled slightly, placing a hand over his mouth in order to stifle a chuckle. "As I've expected, she means the world to you, and possibly more. Yet you've let her fall into your enemy's hands. Namely me…" Kenshin grit his teeth as he observed Onji's subtle movements. He walked toward Kaoru and knelt beside her for a moment, "I could have done anything with her."

"…W-what did you do?" Kenshin asked quietly, slowly but surely losing the potency he once had in his voice.

"You know Kaoru is very beautiful. Not many men in your place would be able to say that they have not touched her once--"

"Enough! Don't ever say that like you have the right to judge me." Kenshin's eyes held a peculiar amber gleam that flickered within his irises. "I don't know why you involved Kaoru-dono in our personal conflict…" Kenshin unsheathed his blade, watching intently as it glimmered faintly. "Let her go." Onji merely stood in place, his smile ceasing to fade. "Onji, let her go… you lured me here as you initially planned to do. There's no need for this anymore."

When Onji hadn't replied to Kenshin's wish, there was something that shook strongly within the swordsman. Had it been rage? Even Kenshin himself was not sure. However he was fully aware of the fact that he hadn't liked being ignored. Especially by his opponent. He saw it as some sort of smug defiance.

And when Onji hadn't decided to react, Kenshin decided to make a move.

With his ungodly speed, he brandished his sword, aiming to inflict heavy damage onto his adversary. It certainly had not been a course of action that either fighter could have predicted. Kenshin was very surprised with himself with the way that he abruptly began their duel. But it was too late for reflection on his part, as the shrill ring of clashing blades racked Kenshin's eardrums. He could imagine the look on his own face to resemble that of a frightening and frustrated young man. But it was understandable, he thought. It was to protect Kaoru.

"_I hadn't predicted that Battousai possessed such a horrifying fighting spirit even though the blood-soaked times of the Bakumatsu were over long ago… And surely the way he lunged at me with the intention to render me unconscious… I'll have to be on guard_," thought Onji. He continued parrying each of Kenshin's brutal attacks, sidestepping to avoid an unexpected lunge on the redhead's part.

Both fighters landed rather quaintly on opposite ends of the room, their movements delayed as thought they'd been waiting for something to occur. Kenshin spoke first: "Lower left abdominal wound. You should be more careful." It'd been an instantaneous blow. One even Onji was unaware he'd taken. Yet the old man proceeded to cough violently afterward. And all the while Kenshin felt an unfamiliar smirk resting on his lips.

Perhaps it would have been better for Onji to stand down, yet he gradually stood up and positioned himself in yet another sword stance. Kenshin inwardly winced. He wasn't necessarily sure what to expect yet decided to humor the old man, also preparing for the fight to begin once again.

The clashing of swords amplified in volume the second time, Kenshin doing his best to evade every blade stroke in hopes of ending things quickly. As if it were a revelation, Onji noted that fighting was not only something Kenshin was adept at, it was how he lived his life. Through endless battles and countless challenges, he was able to sharpen and heighten his swordsman's spirit to a degree that even he could not fathom. Onji began to worry, as he knew that Kenshin had been fighting with a particular fire that had been evident in his precise attacks.

Kenshin leapt to the side and examined his blade. "This fight's over. Keep in mind that when you call me out for a fight, I don't hold back… especially when you drag those who I care about most in this world into our so-called business." Onji glared in the deep pools of what now resembled amber irises. A loud clang then followed suit. His eyes were averted from his opponent and surveyed that his blade had snapped in two.

"How…how could you d--"

"You probably could have been a match for me had I not been enraged. Convenient that you managed to pull that off," the swordsman said wryly as he sheathed his blade, looking down slightly at his opponent. "Consider this a warning. You should learn from this lesson and never cause trouble around anyone again during these times of peace."

"I'm sorry but I cannot…" Kenshin's eyes widened. "You have robbed me of my goal: to defeat the best of the best. That was what I wanted. But I had no idea of how much this woman really meant to you if she alone was able to make you strike with such precision." The old man clasped the hilt of his sword with tremendous force and pursed his lips. "To reciprocate, I will take away what is precious to you…"

Within that instant, Onji dashed in the direction in which Kaoru sat, his arm raised high above his head.

She saw him drawing near, eyes widening in fear. Expecting to feel an immense amount of pain, she tensed up.

But Kaoru didn't feel discomfort of any sort. She hesitated to move for a few moments but when she decided to look up, she saw Kenshin. He stood before her, clutching Onji's cracked blade. The way in which his hand wrapped around its jagged edges caused his hand to bleed profusely, but the samurai dismissed it as unimportant.

He'd saved her at the cost of hurting himself. This realization left Kaoru dazed, completely unaware of the fact that several drops of his hot blood dripped onto her cheek.

Kenshin's voice broke the temporary stagnancy, "You'd have to kill me before I would let something like this happen, Onji…" He released the blade in which he once held and quickly replaced it with his own hilt, striking his foe with a blow that knocked him backward several feet. His withered form crashed into a nearby wall and the unceremonious crash had signified that the duel had finally drawn to a close.

The redhead sheathed his sword for the last time and slowly looked into Kaoru's eyes. He was taken aback with both worry and relief as he crouched down and removed the ropes which bound her. There she was, sitting before him, safe once more. A smile crept to his lips. "Kaoru-dono… I--"

"Thank you." She did what came naturally and unconsciously threw her arms around him.

"Y-you're welcome," he said sincerely as he then broke the embrace to look her in the eyes. It was then that he saw his blood on her face and he smiled ruefully. "I'm just…so glad you're okay," he added as he used his thumb to wipe the stain away.

* * *

The two walked silently home together, Kenshin not having to worry any longer, since she had been walking right by his side, once again in his sight. He was unsure of how to speak with her after everything that happened. Though he could safely formulate in his mind of how worried he was. Not long ago, she had been taken away from him, her kimono in less than suitable conditions when he found her. The thought of making her wait for him to arrive hurt him. Yet the smile on her face and the embrace she graced him with was a wonderful reminder of how everything now was in the past. 

His lips parted for a few moments and he wanted so badly to let romantic nonsense dribble from his tongue. Anything to show Kaoru that he was overjoyed to know that she was safe and sound. But nothing came to mind. Instead all he could hear himself ask had been an unnecessary question that he already had the answer to. "Kaoru-dono… are you sure you're all right now?"

She nodded slightly, "I'm all right…" Her pace gradually became sluggish until she stopped. They just barely entered the doujo gates and she clasped her hands together for a few moments. "I…really appreciate what you did. And what you said."

"It's the truth. Everything I said was the truth."

Kaoru smiled deeply and walked slowly toward Kenshin. "I care about you a lot too…"

Words were no longer necessary, for he hadn't replied verbally. He merely placed an index finger underneath her chin and lifted it to easily meet her lips. The contact was smooth and incredibly soft, the redhead experimenting for a bit as he rested the palm of one hand against the small of her back. Shifting his weight slightly, he parted his lips and seized her open mouth gently, panting tenderly against her.

And from afar sat the inquiring youths: Sanosuke and Yahiko. It'd been extremely uncanny that the duo both wore looks of shock. Yet at the same time, they observed with great amusement. "Huh, finally Kenshin's putting the moves on Jou-chan," Sanosuke stated matter-of-factly.

Yahiko snickered and agreeably nodded his head. "I always knew he liked her." The smug tone in his voice suggested that Sanosuke had no previous inkling regarding that fact.

"Obviously," snorted the ex-gangster. He folded his arms across his chest, ignoring the hotheaded youth and focusing his attention on that special something which he happened to find relatively entertaining.

Kaoru treated the new sensation as something that she never wanted to draw to a close. It had been apparent as to how much she'd wanted to express to Kenshin how she felt. Her arms snaked loosely around his neck whist her fingers brushed his unruly ponytail into place. Their mouths still pressed against one another's in a rhythmic way, tongues occasionally grazing against lower lips.

Kenshin instinctively let out a guttural moan, hands firmly wrapped around her waist. An unfamiliar tingle emerged from the pit of his stomach that only furthered in his desire to hold her close and shower her with his potent affection. He parted the kiss and stared at her with compassion, brushing loose strands of dark hair out of her eyes. He noted that she was smiling, willing him to continue. And so he did. He focused his attention on her lips, noting that they contained a bit more rouge than when he'd first begun playing with them. A thought then crossed his mind as to how red he could make them when they were finally through.

His teeth pressed gently against her lips at first and slowly he began to nibble against her bottom lip. Feeling Kaoru shudder against his body let him know she'd never experienced a kiss with teeth before. And he was more than happy to oblige and make sure she knew how pleasurable it really was. It had only been a few moments before he started applying more force, biting harder while simultaneously tangling his fingers within her dark hair.

Both Kenshin and Kaoru had been so involved with one another that they failed to address that it began to drizzle outside. Yet according to Sanosuke, it made the kiss all the steamier.

Yahiko raised an eyebrow, "Looks like he's gonna eat her."

"Teeth, eh? Ballsy move…way to go Kensh-- Err I mean," Sanosuke abruptly shut himself up, realizing that Yahiko was still watching along with him. "It's uh, getting a little too passionate for you so…yeah," he stuttered, raising a hand to block the youth's eyesight.

"Well, if I can't watch it, I'm not gonna let you watch it then." His vision already hindered, Yahiko raised a hand to cover Sanosuke's eyes. But as fate would have it, he conveniently missed and instead, hit him in the jaw.

"DAMN IT! What the hell'd you do that for? You wanna blow our cover or something?"

"_Me_ blow our cover? You're the one screaming! Of course now they're gonna hear us! Thanks a lot, moron!" Yahiko cried.

Kenshin's eyes widened once he realized what he'd been doing to Kaoru. In front of his friends no less. "I…I uhh…" the rurouni stammered endlessly. But it was all for naught. He just put on a public display of how badly he wanted Kaoru.

Kaoru on the other hand, was not ready to give up without a fight. "How dare you, Yahiko. And you too, Sanosuke! You could have just walked away!"

"Maa, Kenshin…I would have at least picked someone prettier to make out with than her of all people," Yahiko smirked.

"Yahiko, you take that back right now," Kaoru seethed.

"Why should I? It's the truth!"

"Now you've done it… get over here right now!" Kaoru conjured up her bokken from seemingly out of nowhere and proceeded to run after her apprentice in a feverish manner. Kenshin and Sanosuke glared, apparently unfazed by the entire situation. It was natural by that point anyway.

"_She could be so passionate one minute, yet so fiery the next…_" Kenshin thought, stifling his quiet laughter. "_I'm just happy that she's back, regardless_."

The rain started to fall more swiftly than before and Kenshin merely allowed his eyes to rest on Kaoru. At that moment, nothing else mattered to him as much as she.

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope that you enjoyed the rewritten version. I made a lot of progress as a writer and felt that since my writing style changed, I might as well redo a couple things. Thanks for reading 


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